Trade my FX 70-300 for a Sigma 100-400

[Arild]

On my long mountain trips, I allways wear a 18-35 FX nikkor on my Nikon d750. Always in my backpack you will find the Nikkor 60 micro and a 70-300 VR the FX lens


I am loooking for a litle bit of reach. As I own the sigma 150-600 and that TC-1401 and USB dock I am looking at SIgmas offferings not Tamron


So how do these two 70-300 and 100-400 compare. I cant afford to own both
-- portability in field.
-- close focus
-- picture quality at long ends - 250-300-400
-- weather (none are water sealed I guess)

again - remind I am no pro. I am just an old retired mountaineer wanting to bring home some memories, most of this kind:

[Peter Forsell]

I am not familiar with the Sigma you mentioned. How about the previous AF 80-400VR Nikkor? It can be had for 400-500 euros now that it has been replaced by the AF-S version.

[Hugh_3170]

I have the Nikon 70-300mm (old version) and the new 80-400mm G lens.  An unfair comparison, but the 80-400mm G wins hands down - and so it should as it is around 4 times more expensive.

However it must be 4 times as heavy and is more bulky as well.  I am assuming that you will be carrying the 100-400mm Sigma on your back - maybe you need to weigh the Sigma before buying it.  If it is to be your car boot lens, then weight may not be such a big issue for you.

[Akira]

I briefly handled both Tamron and Sigma 100-400 zooms at a shop and found that Tamron was more comfortable to operate thanks to its longer throw and smoother movement of the zoom ring.

However, if you already have another lens and dedicated accessories of Sigma, there could be no choice for Tamron.  Sigma allows push-pull operation just like 150-600 "Sports" version, which can be handy, according to the usage.

[sportsphotoguy]

I made this trade not long ago.  While a bit bulkier, the Sigma 100-400 still fit pretty much anywhere I'd put my 70-300 in my various bags, and the additional reach was welcome.  Got lots of use in on a recent trip to the Low Country of South Carolina.  Very good sharpness and CA was well controlled.

[Arild]

Just ordered that Sigma, traded it for my 70-300 and my 20 mm One lens less in my collection, sigh...

It was cheaper than Tamrons version. And according to many reviewers a better lens bcause the fact its sharper ....

SO then we have to have to wait for the mailman to arrive.....

This reindeer photo, is a 50% crop of a 300 mm photo of 70-300

It was 25 Celsius and no wind at all. Is it the sun haze that made this photo so peculiar??

[Birna Rørslett]

A combination of heat-induced air turbulence, VR (presumably?), and a slight overexposure would be my guess.

[Erik Lund]

Yes over exposure as the top of the fur is 'burnt out'


Did you maybe also sharpen too much and or use too much Clearity? try with 0 on all settings and try to recover the fur first and work from there

[simato73]

The weird "blurry" OOF branches to me are a telltale of VR operating when it should not. I think the shutter speed was high enough that VR should have been turned off.
Agree there is also overexposure, and some of the blurriness may also be due to air density gradients.
Just as Bjørn already said.